Cigarette-making machine



y w. E. MOLINS CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE Filed Sept 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet l M vbvfaw W. E. MOLINS CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE May 24', 1927. 32

Filed Sept. 1 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1,6 0, May 5 W.'E. MOLINS 3 132 CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE I Filed Sept. 15, 1925 4 Sheets'-Sheet 3 May 24, 1927. ,132

' w. E; MOLINS CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE Fl vfidept, 15, 1925 4 Sheets-She et 4 Patented May '24, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT "FOFFICQE.

wanna Evmm'rr nouns. OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

' meantime-manna ,uacnmn.

/ Application filed September 15, 1925, Ser1al No.,.56,520, and in Great Britainoctber 1, 1924.

This invention is forimprovements in a device for severing a moving rod into lengths and more particularly to a device for severing amoving rod produced by'a cigarette making machine of the moving or continuous red type.

In a device of the above character it is essential to impart two distinct simultaneous movements to the cutting blade, one in a direction transverse to the. axis of the moving rod and the other in the direction ofthe axis of the mo ing rod.

It has hithegto been proposed to effect thesetwo distinct simultaneous movements of the cutting blade by reciprocating, in the direction ofthe axis of the moving rod, the element which carries the cutting blade and giving to the element at the same time a movement independent of the reciprocation which effects the transverse movement of the blade. 7 Y y, g

i The above princi le'involves the reci ro-- cation of heavy, un alanced parts and 1t is an object of the present invention to obviate the reciprocation of such heavy, unbalanced parts and to provide 'a balanced system in which the element which carries the blade and effects the transverse movement of the same relative to the rod' does not reciprocate.

The present invention consists of a cutting device for severing a moving rod into lengths which comprises a blade or blades carried by and adapted to. revolve about the axis of a shaft secured against axial dis- 3 placement and means (for example a swash plate mechanism) adapted to movethe blade or'bladesi'n the direction of the axis of the shaft.

Further the present invention consists of 40 a cutting device for severing a moving rod into len ths which comprises a rotatable,

shaft, a lade or blades carried by the shaft so as to pivot, about an axis or axes inclined to the :fxisof the shaft,- and means adapted 4 to move the blade-or blades about the pivotal axis or axes ,thereof as the shaft rotates. Again the present invention consists of a cutting device for severing a moving rod into lengths which comprises a shaft sewcured against axial displacement,- a blade or blades operatively connected to said shaft and adapted to rotate about a fixed point on said shaft in a plane or planes inclined to the direction of the axis of the moving) rod and means operable to maintain each lade carried in bearings 2 mounted in a gear box in s 8 mounted in the gearbox.

. Flecured to one end of the shaft 7 is a I wheel 13, which. co-operatesiwfih another bush 18 by screws 19 passing through slots normal to the direction of the axis of the moving rod throughout the entire path of the blade. j 4 i Further the present invention consists of acutt-ing devicefor severing a moving rod into lengths wherein a'blade or blades operatively connected to a shaft secured against axial displacement is or are rotatable about the axis of the shaft in an elliptical patln It will be understood thatfixed. knives] may be used instead of the rotary discs above mentioned.

Other methods of obtaining the lateral stroke of the knives are illustrated and will be described later. i The invention as applied to a cigarette cutting machine is illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which:, Figure 1 isan elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view with links in a different position from that of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section, on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a detailed view showing a method of driving a circular cutter.

Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 show modifications.

' The main shaft 1, driven from the main driye of the cigarette making machine, is

3'secured to the bed 4 of the machine.

To the shaft 1 is secured a gear 5 which meshes with a ear wheel 6 which is mounted on a cross shaft 7 adapted to rotate in bear spur gear 9 whichmeshes with a gear 10, securedto a further shaft 11 mounted 1n hearings in, a gearbox 12, in which is a gear 9 5 gear 14 secured to ayerticaljshaft 15. Mounted at the upper part of the shaft "15 is a grooved wheel ,or ledgerplate 16, the.

groove 16 serving to receive the rod oftobaoco to be cut into lengths. Theled rplate ,16-isv formed with a plurality of s ots 11, preferably fourlin number, into which the cutting knives. are adapted to project when cutting is to take place.

' Provision is made forthe'adjustment' of the plate 126 by :mounting it on a bush 18, whichis secured to the spindle 15 by a pin, the ledgerplate being in'turnv secured to the 20 as shown in Figure 2.

On the inner. end of the main shaft 1 is a cross spindle/21 and also fixed to the main shaft is a second cross-spindle 22 arranged parallel to the spindle 21. Pairs of links 23 and 24 are pivotally mounted on the ends pf the spindles 21 and 22 respectively, the ends of these links being connected by pins 25 to cross links 26. The links 24 movement is imparted to the whole link construction, but the links 23, owing to the fact that they are secured to the inclined fork member 30, are caused also to oscillate, and thismovement being transmitted to the knives 35, the latter are given a movementof an elliptical nature. The displacement velocity of the knives, due to their universal movement, corresponds approximately at the cutting point to that of the cigarette rod.

The guide along which the tobacco rod is fed is shown at 37.

The eccentricity of the knife edge relatively to the centre of rotation combined with the increase in diameter of the knife path as the links reach a position at right angles to their original position is s fiicie'nt to cause a knife to sweep gradually across the path of the cigarette rod and cut it. The mechanism normally required to feed the knife is eliminated.

The knives may conveniently be of segmental shape as shown in Figure 3, but may if desired be circular or other suitable shape.

Either kind of knife may be rotated if desired, provision being made for timing the segmental knife when this is done.

When it is desired to rotate the knives, a driving wheel 38, as shown in Figure 4, is mounted on the forked member 30, this wheel 38 being fitted with a rubber band 39 that is adapted to engage with a pulley 40 mount-- ed on a knife spindle. As the link-work rotates, the movement is imparted to the knives through the driving wheel 38 and pulley 40.

Variation in the length of the cigarettes may be obtained by varying the speed of rotation of the knife blades in relation to that of the cigarette rod.

It is also necessaryto use a ledger wheel of a different size, driven at a suitable speed and to adjust the knives to co-operate with it.

Figure 5 shows another method of rotatof the linkwork to balance the parts.

ing the cutters on their spindles. In this case a fixed gear 41 is held in the bracket 33. Two small gears 42 are mounted on pins 43 which are carried by a plate 44 running on the shank of the sun gear 41. Connections to the knife spindles 45 are made by universal shafts 46. As the framework revolves, the planet wheels 42 are caused to rotate by the sun wheel and turn theknives.

Figure 6 shows diagrammatically an alternative means of obtaining the lateral movement of the knives. Each knife carrier is furnished with a roller 47 which works against a fixed cam 48 secured to the machine bed. In Figure 7 a somewhat. similar arrangement is shown, but in this case a plain disc 49 or ring" is used and it is carried by an angle bracket in the same way as the forked link previously described. In this casethe stroke may be altered by altering the inclination of the plate.

Figure 8 is a diagram of a modified form of Figure 1. The links nearest the knives are in this case pivoted at 50, at some disstance from the main shaft centre. This causes the knives to swing through an are as they receive their lateral movement during rotation. The lateral movement can, therefore, be reduced by an amount equal to the are.

I may, if desired, use one knife only, or iii another case. duplicate the set of knives shown'in Figure 1. \Vhen using one knife, a counterweight is fitted on the opposite side The single knife framework requires to rotate at twice the speed of the arrangement shown in Figure 1 for any given set of conditions and the actual cutting speed is, therefore, greater. A further alternative for obtaining the lateral movement is to connect a point in the rear link with a point eccentric to the main shaft by means of a universal shaft. In this way an effect similar to that produced by the forked piece is produced.

The invention is also adaptedcfor use with a. common reciprocating ledger plate.

\Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cutting device for severing an axially moving rod into lengths comprising' a shaft secured against axial displacement. a blade carried by and revolving about the axis of the shaft. and means, whose effective operation is dependant upon the revolution of the blade about the axis of the shaft. for moving the blade-in the direction of the axis of the shaft.

2. cutting device for severing an axially moving rod into lengths comprising a rotatable shaft secured against axial displacement, a blade operatively connected to said shaft and revolving about the axis of said shaft. and means, whose effective operation is dependant upon the revolution of the blade about the axis of theshaft, for mov ing the bladein the direction of the axis of the shaft.

3. A- cut-ting device for severing a moving rod into lengths, comprising a rotatables-haft secured against axial displacement, a blade carried by said shaft. and pivotally mounted for pivoting. about an axis inclined to the axis of the shaft, and means moving the said blade about the pivotal axis as the shaftrotates.

4. A cutting device for severing a moving rod into lengths comprising a shaft secured against axial displacement. a blade carried liyand revolving about the axis of the shaft. means, whose effective operation is dependant upon the revolution of the blade about the axis of the shaft. for moving the blade in the direction of the axis of the shaft, and mechanism to va-rvthe extent of movement of the .blade in the direction of said axis. 3

5. A cutting device for severing a moving rod into lengths comprising a shaft secured against axial displacement. ablade carried by and revolving about the axis of the shaft.

means, whose effective operation is dependant upon the revolution of the blade about the axis of the shaft. for moving the blade in the direction of theaxis of the shaft. and

mechanism maintaining the plane of the blade normal to the axis of the moving rod..

6. A cuttin device for severing a moving rod into lengdis, comprising a shaft secuied against axial displacement. a blade carried by and revolving about the axis of the shaft and means for moving the blade in 'thc dis rection of t-he axis of the shaft in such a. manner that the distance of said blade from the axis of the shaft varies -continuousl from a maximum toaminimum twice during each revolution a v 7. A cutting device for severinga moving rod into lengths. comprising a rgtatable shaft secured against axial displacement. an arm pivotally mounted on said shaft. a blade carried. by Saidarm, and means moving said arm about the pivot as the shaft rotates.

8. A cutting dev1ce for severing-a mov ng rod into lengths comprising a rotatable shaft secured against axial displacement, an arm pivotally mounted on said shaft, a blade carried by said arm, means moving said arm about the pivot as the shaft rotate and inechanism maintaining the plane of the bladenormal to the axis of the moving rod.

9. A cuttlng device 'for severinga moving rod into lengths comprising a rotatable shaft secured against axial displacement, an

arm mounted on said shaftand pivoted at right angles thereto, a second arm mounted on said shaft and pivoted at right angles thereto and parallel to said first arm, a tie' rod pivotally connected to the two arms .to

maintain them in said parallel relation, a-

(blade mounted on said tie rod, .and means moving said parallel arms about their pivots as the shaft revolves, 4 v 10. 'A cuttinggdevice for severing a move ing rod into lengths comprisinga shaft secured against axial displacement, a' blade operatively connected to said shaft and r0- tating about a fixed point on said shaft in a plane inclined to the axis of the moving rod, and means maintaining t e plane'of said blade normal to the directio of the axis of the moving rod.

11. A cuttingdevice for severing a 1nov-' mg rod into lengths,.comprising a shaft secured against axial dlsplacement, a blade,

mechanism rotating said blade aboutsaid :the blade to periodically intersect the path of the moving nod and to movein the direction'of the axis of said rod.

13. A cutting device for severing a moving rod into lengths comprising a shaft secured against axial displacement-9a parallel link device pivotally mounted on said shaft, a blade carried by said device, means for moving the parallel link device to cause the blade to periodically intersect the path of the moving rod and to travel about the axis of the shaft as center in such a manner that the distance of said blade from the axis of the shaft varies continuously from a maxirrr mum toa. minimum twice during each revolution.

. 14. A cutting devicefor severing a moving rod into lengths comprising a shaft secured against. axial displacement, a cutting blade, and mechanism for rotating said blade about the axis of saidshaft in such f a manner that the distance of the blade from the axis of the shaft varies continuously from a maximum to a minimum twice during each revolution.

15. A cutting device for severing amoving rod into lengths, comprising arotatable shaft secured against axial displacement, a parallel link mechanism pivot-ally mounted on said shaft. and including a link maintained parallel to the axis of said shaft, a

blade mounted on said link,and means shiftingfaiid link in the direction of axis of said shaft in such a manner that the distance of the link from the axis of the shaft varies continuously fron a maximum to .a minis.

mnm twice during each revolution.

16. A cutting device for severing a moving rodinto lengths, comprising a rotatable shaft secured against axial displacement, a continuously from a maximum to a minimum parallel link mechanism pivotally mounted twice during each revolution, and structure 10 on said shaft and including a link mainfor balancing said blade about its axis of tained parallel to the axis of said shaft, a revolution.

blade mounted on said link, means for shift- In witness whereof I have hereunto set my ing said link in the direction of the axis of hand.

said shaft in such a manner that the distance of the link from the axis of the shaft varies VALTER EVERETT MOLIN S. 

